An electronic device, particularly a portable terminal refers to a device with which a user communicates with another user or connects to a service provided by a service provider through a mobile communication base station, while carrying the device. Along with the development of mobile communication technology and the information and communication industry, the portable terminal has rapidly broadened its service area. For example, early-stage mobile communication services were limited to paging, voice call, short message transmission, and the like. Now the service area of the portable terminal is extended to multimedia service including a video, entertainment service including gaming, and financial service including mobile banking. Furthermore, portable terminals become necessities to almost all age groups ranging from teens to elderly people.
Over the past few years, multimedia service has been reinforced through portable terminals and portable terminals such as a smart phone or a tablet PC have achieved performance close to that of a Personal Computer (PC). Accordingly, users can access the Internet, view videos, and handle business through smart phones or tablet PCs, while moving. In addition, as a display device having a touch screen has substituted for a keyboard having physical switches, portable terminals have been equipped with smaller, advanced display devices.
To extend the functions of a smart phone or a tablet PC, various additional devices are used. For example, the additional devices range from a simple device such as a cradle on which a portable terminal is placed during charging or which provides user convenience during execution of a multimedia function to a docking station on which a portable terminal is connected to an external audio or video device. An audio device with which a portable terminal is docked plays back a file stored in a storage medium such as a Compact Device (CD). Compared to an ordinary audio storage medium, a user can store an intended file freely in the portable terminal. Therefore, if a user has a docking station equipped with an audio device function, the user can enjoy rich multimedia content through a portable terminal.
Another type of additional device is an input device provided to a portable terminal, particularly an input device that extends and adds a keyboard for the portable terminal. Since a smart phone or a tablet PC has performance almost equal to that of a home computer or an office computer, the smart phone or the tablet PC is sufficient for simple business work or Web surfing. The smart phone or the tablet PC outperforms a laptop computer in terms of mobility. The use of an additional input device connectable to a portable terminal such as a smart phone or a tablet PC can increase user convenience. That is, the additional input device enables the user to use the portable terminal substantially with the same performance of a laptop computer.
However, the additional input device is rather inconvenient in terms of portability in view of its volume or power-related issues. Aside from a power supply for the portable terminal, the additional input device requires a power device. Moreover, to apply an input signal to the portable terminal with the additional input device, pogo pins or a Bluetooth device is required.
If the additional input device is connected through connectors such as pogo pins, the input device should have a predetermined thickness, for stable engagement with an electronic device, as well as it needs a power device. As a result, the input device is less portable.
If the input device is docked with the portable terminal by Bluetooth, both the portable terminal and a docking station need Bluetooth modules for communication. In addition, the input device needs a power device and gets thicker, thus decreasing its portability.
While the portable terminal is being carried or used, an exterior case of the portable terminal or a display device exposed from the front surface of the portable terminal is vulnerable to scratches or impact-caused damage. To prevent such damages, various cases or covers (hereinafter, referred to as cover devices) are provided to portable terminals. Previously, a cover device that covers a portable terminal is configured so as to cover only the periphery of the portable terminal or only the rear case of the portable terminal, while exposing a display part. Or the cover device is configured to open or cover the display device of the portable terminal, while covering the entirety of the portable terminal with a flip case (referred to as a flip cover). The flip cover simply covers the portable terminal, in engagement with the portable terminal.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.